


Another Reason

by WeepingWings



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, M/M, Past Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-06
Updated: 2017-06-06
Packaged: 2018-11-09 16:26:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11108370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeepingWings/pseuds/WeepingWings
Summary: Maybe there was another reason, hidden deep beneath the lies, to why Cecil couldn’t stand Steve. Maybe there was more to this story than just a petty fight.





	Another Reason

**Author's Note:**

> Even though I am totally in love with this show, and normally a big supporter of the decisions Joseph and Jeffrey make regarding the storyline, I’ve never been a big fan of the reason Cecil hates Steve. I know that they probably did it to add to the way they’ve given all of their characters flaws, (Cecil’s being how quick is to anger) but I decided to write a different take on it.

“Abby and her husband...... _Steve Carlsberg_ were also present at the time of the attack, although, no one really cares about one-half of that duo.”  
Cecil’s voice flittered through the radio and around Carlos’ lab, hatred ever present at the mention of Steve. It was so strong in fact, that Carlos had been shaken out of his science stupor. 

“I really don’t understand him sometimes,” Carlos muttered under his breath as he glanced at the worn down radio sitting on his desk. “Yes, they have completely different views on a lot of things, but that hardly requires so much hatred towards a single person. I have to figure this out, and there is no way Cecil is going to give any information up.”

Casting a brief glance around the empty lab, Carlos switched off his microscope and headed towards the door, sliding his keys off the key ring as he did so. He quickly decided that after hearing today's traffic report, it would be much safer to just walk, so he locked up the lab and headed in the direction of the Carlsberg’s, only knowing the way because of the several times he and Cecil had picked up Janice to stay the night. 

The mid-afternoon air was heavy and dry, and before he knew it, he was drenched in sweat from head to toe. 

“I should’ve just driven. So what if I had been sucked up into the gaping hole surrounding the dog park, at least I would be cold.” Carlos groaned as he swept sweat-soaked hair out of his eyes. “This better be worth it,” he added as he crossed the street and headed toward the row of houses he knew Steve to live in.  
After passing house after identical house, he stopped in front of a slightly different looking porch and a darker purple door. 

“Such rebels.” Carlos chuckled as he stepped up the oak stairs and onto the little hallway that lead to the front door. “I can see why Cecil can’t stand him.” 

Taking a half step forward, Carlos rung the doorbell before standing back again. He could hear the echo of the bell ringing inside of the house, a brassy sound that, even from this far away, made Carlo’s head ring. He stood there for a minute, bouncing a little of the balls of his feet in front of the deep purple door before it was pulled open without warning.

“Oh! Carlos! How wonderful to see you. Come in, come in before the Sheriff's Secret Police find out you’re here and send word back to Cecil.” Steve whispered, grabbing Carlos by his upper arm and dragging him inside of the house. 

“I’m pretty sure it’s too late for that, they probably knew I was coming here before I made the decision myself.” 

“That is very true,” Steve replied, giving Carlos a faint smile. “You know, I have never seen an outsider become so used to our town so quickly, it’s quite astonishing.”

“I’d have to give some credit to Cecil for my adjustment, he always seems happy to tell me things I don’t know, and it helps that I’ve always been a little weird myself.” 

“Cecil just seems to be at the root of everything these days,” Steve muttered, a far away look appearing in his eyes for a second before he shook his head and looked back to Carlos. “Anyway, why have you come to see me in the middle of the afternoon.”

“Ah, actually, it’s about Cecil,” Carlos replied a little guilty, scuffing the toe of his shoe along the hardwood of Steve’s front hallway. 

Steve just sighed and gestured to the living room. “I figured it was. Come on in.” 

After toeing off his shoes and leaving them on the purple rug, Carlos followed him from the front entryway, through the kitchen, and into the living room.

“What do you want to know?” Steve asked, collapsing down into a faded arm chair and sighing deeply. 

“Well, I was in my lab and listening to the radio while looking at some samples through my microscope, off in the land of..”

“Carlos. Just get to the point.”

“Right, sorry. I was listening to the news when Cecil mentioned that you and Abby were at Big Rico’s when the ceiling collapsed under the weight of the dead animals the Glow Cloud, all hail, had dropped. It was just the way that Cecil said you name that bothered me. I know that you two have different views on things and that Cecil is worried that for some reason you’re going to corrupt Janice or something, but this level of hate seemed to even be above Cecil, who I know is notorious for holding grudges. So, I was wondering if there is something that you two are hiding from the world.”

Throughout his monolog, Carlos watched as Steve got stiffer in his seat and the lines on his brow get deeper. Unsure of what to say next, Carlos just sat and watched as the other occupant in the room seemed to be battling with something. He could almost see the cogs whirling in Steve’s brain as he fought for something to say. 

“I’m going to take that from the lack of response that something else happened.” Steve just let out his breath in a huff and dropped his face into his hands. They sat in silence for a little while longer before Steve’s reply came.

“Carlos, somehow I had forgotten that you carry with you a scientist's skill of observation.” he took a deep shaking breath before continuing. “Around ten years before you stepped foot in night vale, Cecil and I were.............. together. It was only meant to be a quick fling before we actually got serious about the whole idea of settling down for the rest of the lives, but in the end, it dragged onto something longer. For whatever reason, being with Cecil gave me a-a feeling of control that I had never felt before. And, I used it. Every time I would have a tough day at work or something didn’t go my way, I-I would take it out on Cecil.” he took another shuddering breath. “What made it worse was how Cecil never complained. He would always just take it, and whenever I would try to apologize, he would turn it back on him and say that he deserved it. 

“This carried on for nearly a year, and for some reason, neither of us saw any problem in this cycle. Until one day Cecil was reaching for something at work and his shirt rode up, displaying the bruises covering his torso to the entire breakroom. He tried to deny what was going on, but the Secret Police wasn’t just going to let so much harm come to their precious voice, so they offered us two choices. Either they reeducated the whole town into believing that the first time we met was at his sister's wedding and that he hated me for corrupting his beautiful niece, or I would have to move away.” by this point in the story, Steve was running his hands through his hair and trying not to cry. “And right there on the spot, without hesitation, Cecil chose to have the town reeducated. He later told me that the only reason he let me stay was because Night Vale is my home too, and he would never take that away from me.”

After finishing his story, Steve broke down into tears, and for the next several minutes, they were the only sound that could be heard from the room.

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like I struggled with writing Steve's character. If you feel that there is anything I could change to make his characterization match canon better, just leave a comment below and I'll do my best to fix it. Also, if you're unhappy with any part of the story and feel like I could've done something better, leave me a comment and I'll try to make the story better. And one last thing for me to annoy you guys with, if anyone is unhappy with the ending, just let me know, and I'll go back and fix it. Anyway, thank you all for reading!


End file.
